Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-10-12

MEXICAN POLITICS.
AaCountry Whose aAfkA1rsssAre Managed By
q Little Ciluna OF ShEsnmIa

3 = Country Whose AffalrssAr Managed ~
Little Clique OF Leaders.Sg Hs}a
But tho city is not only theAcapiital, 1t
81 tho center of all the political life Of
thelrepnblic. ForSin alIoutward forms
thisis q Federalrepablic. The cityand5
its envirousESform the Federal district
In the State of Mexico, Besides this
State theresare twenty-six other States.
each with its Governor and local Leg
fslature, its system of schools. Tho
Federal constitution is d model one:
there is all the machinery OF. = republic
can government, two elected Houses, a
President popularity chosen for a term
OF six years. who is Ineligible again
until a term has interviewed. But the
President is in fact elected BY agree
rnent among . knot Of leaders. and tho
office is a matter of arrangement, bar
gained for usually . long time in the
future. Every Governor of "a State is
practically dictated by this little jaunta
at the capital; and every officer, even
to mayors Of cities, is SO chosen. It is
the most purely personal government
In the world. Whatever elective forms
are gone through with, this is tho fact.
When the first term of Diaz expired
Gonzales came in by arrangements;
when the latter retired it was to q Gov
ernorship. Diaz has a predominance
of Indian blood, Gonzales of Spanish.
In his first term Diaz took an en-
Gghtened view of the needs of Mexico
and its external relations. He invited
capital and promoted railways by lib
eral subsidies. The railways were
built; tho subsidies have not been paid.
The country was infested with brig
ands. These brigands were not In
dams, but of the mixed Spanish race
who had possessions, and took to
the highways only on occasion, orwhen.
the country was politically disturbed.
Vigorous efforts were made to suppress
this by the government. Gonzales had
the reputation of being the head of
these quasi brigands. When he came
into power brigandage was still more
effectively suppressed. People say that
his method was to put al. the brigands
in Office, make them Governors, mayors
and high district officials, where they
could make more than by intercepting
caravans, stopping dihgences and
carrying off owners of haciendas.
And it is universally believedin Mexico
that Gonzales, in his term of four years,
saved out of his salary between twelve
and eighteen millions Of dollars,
which is now well invested. These
leaders are astute diplomatists, as
wary and as supple and subtle rs
the Turks. Whoever makes a treaty
with them is likely to be confused by
the result, Whoever invests money. in
Mexico, either in public works OF in
private enterprise, does so at his risk.
Any basis of confidence is wanting in
business. The Mexicans do not trust
each other. They always seem sur
prised when a foreignerd does as he said
he would do. The moral condition is
something like that of Egypt. The at
mosphere of Egypt is n of universal
lying. We who are accustomed to do
business. on universal faith-the pre-
sumption being that a man is honest
until the contrary is proved-can not
understand a social state where the
contrary is the assumption. 49,
Ono can readily grant to Diaz patri-.
cite intentions, and the desire to have
Mexico take an honorable place in the
world; but Justice is not had priceless
In the courts-the officials are
aH serving their own interests,
and official corruption is uni
versal. And yet travel is now
safe, public order is maintained, and
there is marked progress in education.
Still, whatever the Government is,
there is no public opinion, no
general comprehension of political
action, no really representative gov
eminent or representative election.
There are few newspapers, the people
ore not informed, and the mass Of them
ere Indifferent so long as they are per-
sonally not disturbed. In only one
cas- (the action of the Congress in re-
gard to the English debt-action
promoted by a determined demonstra-
zion of the students of the city, has
there been any sign of the independ-
enoe of tile Legislature. Mexico re-
mains, in effect, a personal govern:
ment with no political public. / am
making no sweeping declaration as to
the character Of the mongrel popula-
ton; it has its good points. Charles
Dudley Warner, tn Harpe''s Magazine.
~ -e- -
A Youthful Merchant. !
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i: Some odd facts are occasionally just